The Cycle Continues
by xfilesfanatic
Summary: "You are young. Life has been kind to you... you will learn." - Sweeny Todd


**Disclaimer**: Not mine and no infringement intended. Please don't sue!

**A/N:** A very special thank you to Obscure Bird for beta reading my story. The music in this fanfiction is from Anthony's POV. Please read and review!

**Dedication: **Dedicated to my brother! He loves Sweeny Todd, as do I.

The Cycle Continues…

The ship rolled in slowly towards the English harbor, creating a series of waves against the dock as it continued to disturb the tide-free waters. The young sailor on the ship looked out toward the city of Plymouth, and sighed contentedly, for although it was engulfed in a heavy cloud of mist, making it near impossible to see anything, he could hear the city bells ring from afar, and he knew… he was home.

The man standing next to him, however, did not look nearly as pleased. He took a closer look at this stranger, whom he had recently rescued from the ocean's rage, and for the first time, really noticed his features. The man had scar tissue on his face and hands, as if his body had long been healing from physical abuse. _Beatings_, he assumed. _He has no doubt suffered from some form of living hell_. His hair, too, revealed that he had put up with more stress than a person his age should ever have to deal with, for it was streaked various shades of gray and white. And finally, his face… oh his face gave the young sailor chills. The man did not smile; it was as if agony and pain were ingrained into him, molding his face into an everlasting expression of sadness and draining all light away from his eyes. And what was strange: it was almost as if the mere presence of the city enhanced his features, so much so that the young sailor almost felt intimidated, wishing he could hurry off the ship and put a fair amount of distance between them. He probably would have too, had he not been overcome by remorse for the man he saved; for it was pain that radiated from his expressions, not so much anger or hatred.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Hope?" asked the sailor, hoping to ease the tension between them as they exited the ship and entered the walls of Plymouth.

"I beg your indulgence, Robert. But as I stare at this city, which I once called home, I see nothing more than the shell of everything I used to know. All that remains is a ghost town." Anthony Hope sighed, remembering similar words spoken to him so many years prior. To think, at the time he did not understand what those words meant… but now he did. He looked around, not recognizing a soul, for the young adults who roamed the streets were children when he saw them last, and folks in their middle age were formerly in their youthful stages of adulthood, as was he once. Then he turned around and looked at the murky water in the harbor, which was keeping afloat his former ship, The_ Bountiful_, now apparently called the _Explorer_.

Upon noticing his precious ship, Antony shut his eyes, in an effort to will the ghosts away. He reached a hand into the depths of his pocket, and pulled out an old photo, worn by time and weather, but miraculously not entirely destroyed. The two people in it were ghosts, too, as far as he was aware, but he refused to give in to that belief until he had searched for them himself. He'd search all of Plymouth, if he had to! Lost in his sea of thoughts, he didn't even hear Robert creep up behind him.

"The lady in your photo is most beautiful. And the child in her arms… looks just like her. I take it they mean something to you…that they await your arrival?"

"They mean the world to me, Robert. I have sailed the world and seen its wonders, but they-," he said as he pointed at the black-and-white picture, "they are the greatest wonders yet. They mean everything, but whether or not they await me, I am uncertain:

_There was a sailor and his wife_

_And she was beautiful_

_A foolish sailor and his wife_

_She was his reason and his life_

_And she was beautiful_

_And she was virtuous…_

_And he was… naïve_

_There was another man who saw_

_That she was beautiful_

_A greedy captain of the ship_

_Who decided he would rip_

_The humble sailor from his plate_

_Then there'd be nothing but to wait_

_And she would fall…_

_So soft, so young, so lost and oh so beautiful…_ "

The proverbial fog had lifted for Robert as the reason for this Mr. Hope's pain became clear to him. He didn't wish to ask about such a sensitive subject, but his curiosity got the better of him. "The lady, sir… did…" he paused, before completing his question reluctantly and apologetically, "did she succumb?"

_Oh, that was many years ago. I doubt if anyone would know_.

"I'd like to thank you, Robert. If you hadn't spotted me, I would out on the ocean still. Before I leave, I would like to advise you not to take life for granted. Enjoy life in your youth, while it is kind to you. For one day you will learn of the cruelties of men, just as I did."

The young sailor remained silent, taking in his words and finding truth in them through Anthony's appearance. As much as he wished to speak and offer his condolences for his misfortune, he didn't wish to make things awkward, so he nodded and extended his hand to shake Anthony's, offering a silent goodbye in the process of doing so.

Once they parted ways, Anthony disappeared into the jungle of buildings and streets, beginning his quest for the search of his wife Johanna, and their daughter, who by now was no longer an infant. In his mind he pictured his wife and child, their eyes crystal blue as the sky, skin soft and milky white like the purest of clouds, and hair as golden yellow as the sun. He hoped that once he found them, if he did, that the fog would lift. No, not the fog that lingered through the city atmosphere, but the fog that consumed the happiness he had once known. He hoped that when he found them, their presence would bring back the sun, and with it, the light he had missed for so long.

**A/N:** Thank you for reading!


End file.
